Sunday Inspiration: A Crossfitter's Guest Post by Kyla

Hi everyone!

I asked my friend Kyla if she'd be interested in writing a guest post for this blog.  Kyla is a huge inspiration to me, and I think she'll be an inspiration to lots of you, too!

One of my most popular posts of all time is "Losing Weight With Ballet", and I get many comments and messages monthly in reference to that post.  Many people are out there, back to ballet as an adult and putting in the work, but aren't seeing the scale moving.

I recently replied to a commenter about the theory that states "Muscle weighs more than fat".  This is true in a way, but can be misleading.  1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat, 1lb of feathers, 1lb of butter, 1lb of chocolate and so on.  However, 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat.  If you put the same sized pieces of muscle and fat next to one another, the muscle would weigh more because it is more dense.

Kyla's story demonstrates that theory to a T!  So please enjoy, and don't be so hard on yourself for the number you see on the scale.  Pick up a measuring tape and start tracking your measurements in a journal.  I think you'll be surprised with the changes you see as you push through this dance season!

So, without further ado...
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I can’t say I have a history in ballet. I haven’t worn any form of leotard or tutu since I was probably six years old; I have about zero grace, and am blessed with the coordination of an average person when they’re about three drinks in. I also haven’t written much besides the credit analysis I do for work since Composition I in college.

However, Lindsay thought that my story might help inspire some of you, her readers, who struggle with the physical health/weight/body image part of dance. So… here goes.

Growing up I never gave health or nutrition a second thought. My pre-teen/teenager metabolism paired with the hours I spent running around a barn/riding multiple horses a night meant I kept pretty lean without trying.

When I went to college in 2008 I was forced to sell my horses and give up riding. I also fell into the trap that so many students do, of eating absolute crap meal after meal, and spending minimal time doing anything physical.

In May of 2012 I graduated from KU and moved to Tulsa to begin my career.  For a few more months the same trends continued; I got minimal exercise and ate lots of fast food, as I focused on adjusting to “big kid life”.  By August of 2012 I was the most out of shape and I can only assume the most unhealthy I’d ever been. I weighed in somewhere around 150 pounds, at a height of 5’5”.

My new job was a part of a formal six month training program the company puts on annually for the new college graduates it’d hired. There were 19 of us, fresh out of school, in a new city and new role. We all decided we should start a new activity together to “bond”. Someone suggested CrossFit. I hadn't a clue what that meant, but I agreed.

The first class at 918 CrossFit, I thought I was going to die. I’d never felt so hopelessly out of shape and out of place. I called my mom afterwards from my car to say “I don’t know if I should be driving. I feel drunk.”

The next few days I was miserably sore, but I put on a brave face (mostly so that I wouldn't be the “quitter”) and went back.

 I’m not sure what the exact point was, but eventually I began looking forward to the workouts, rather than dreading them. I began to feel more in shape and capable, despite not noticing any real physical changes.

When the training program ended and I moved back to the Kansas City area to begin my full-time position, one of my first priorities was finding a CrossFit gym I could call home. I lucked into finding CrossFit 913 during its first month of business, and I instantly felt at home.

Through the coaches there and their encouragement I became more and more invested in getting stronger, faster, and fitter.  This also translated to an interest in nutrition, and fueling my body correctly.

Now, at 23 years old I’m a professional label/ingredients reader, and I spend most Friday nights in, so that I can be in the gym bright and early Saturday morning.  I’m without a doubt the healthiest I've ever been.

Here’s the kicker… I still weigh about 150 pounds. In fact, just last week I did a health screening for work and my BMI came back as “overweight”.

Now listen, I’m not tiny, I never will be; but, I know for damn sure I’m not overweight.

In the last year I have had people tell me that I’m too muscular, and not feminine. Slowly, I’m learning to not care. I've finally started to love my body for what it can do, not just how it looks, or how much it weighs, or how it compares to society’s definition of beauty.

So now that I've shared my saga… here’s the punchline where I’ll try to tie this back to the point of the blog: ballet.

Maybe some of you are working your ass off day after day in the studio and you’re feeling fitter and your routines are getting more advanced and more polished, and you’re feeling better in your leos (did I use that lingo right?!) but the scale isn’t moving. Stop stressing. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll get where you want to be. 

I hope that you can all learn to love your body and what it’s able to do, and love yourself for taking care of yourself, rather than stressing over some silly number.

On the left, August 2012. ~150 lbs.

On the right, May 2014. ~150 lbs.

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Doesn't Kyla just look fabulous?  Give that scale some vacation time and don't let it rule your life.  

If you would like to share your story and write a guest post, please contact me at lindsay@pointeperfect.com.